Beet-topper.



T. SLAWSON.

BEET TOPPER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1914.

1,149,41 1 Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET WITNESSES: 'N I/E/V TOR M M Y 10m 51M W By P A TTOR/VEVaxle is rotatable.

flETTE S rs m i THOMAS SLAWSON, OF NEAR REA, MISSOURI.

BEET-TOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. l

Application filed June 16, 1914. Serial No. 845,431.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS SLAwsoN, a citizenof the United States, residing near Rea, in the county of Andrew andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBeet-Toppers, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of beet toppers,which are designed to properly out tops from beets, while the same arestanding in the field where they are grown. The objects of myimprovements are, first; to provide a simple, substantial and durableimplement of this class, by the use of which a furrow is plowed at eachside of a row of beets, and the tops of the same are properly cuttherefrom, regardless of the height to which said beets extend above'theground, to elevatesaid tops into a box, and to provide manually operateddumping means, whereby said box is emptied of tops onto the ground;second; to provide ready means for guiding said topper and plow guidingmeans whereby the plows are guided; third; to provide raising andlowering means, whereby the depth of said plows in the ground isregulated, and

whereby said plows and the beet topping de vices are raised above theground for transporting the same from place to place, when not inoperation as a topper; fourth; to so construct an implement of thisclass, that the same shall be neat in appearance and comparatively cheapin cost of manufacture. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the beet topper, the right wheels of the same being removedto avoid obscurity. Fig. 2 is a top plan. Fig. 3 is a top plan of therunners and hinge bar. Fig. 41 is a rear view of the parts shown in Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a front view of the plow frame and plows. Fig. 6 is atransverse section of the elevator, on the line X X, seen in Fig. 1. 7

Referring to Fig. 1, the end portion of frame 1 is mounted on rear axle2, and is provided with journal boxes 3, in which said Left rear wheel 4is rotatably mounted on the left end of said axle. The right end of saidaxle is secured in right rear wheel 4:, which acts as a drive wheeltherefor, as seen in Fig. 2. Drive sprocket parts: Hounds 7 are providedwith journal boxes 8, secured thereunder, in which the cranked frontaxle 9 is rotatable. The cranked extremities 9 of said axle, have saidfront wheels 6 rotatably mounted thereon.

The lower end of lift lever 10 is secured to one of the cranked portionsofsaid axle, and is held in its various adjustments by latch-bolt 11,which engages ratchet notches 12 formed in segment 12, which latter issecurely mounted on one of the hounds 7, for lifting and adjustablyholding the'front end of frame 1 at any desired height. Sandboards 13are secured transversely on the rear end portions of hounds 7 and havesandboard plate 14 secured thereon. Said plate has its upper facerounded and has extension 1e formed on the front edge thereof.Saidextension has apertures 14: formed therethrough. Bolster plate 15has its lower surface rounded and resting on said sandboard plate. Kingbolt 16 is passed through both of said plates and together with thepreviously described parts forms pivotal mounting means for the frontend of frame 1, which latter is secured on bolsters 15, secured on saidbolster plate. Said frame has seat 17 securely mounted thereon, fromwhich the operator operates the following described tongue guiding meansand the lift lever 10. Tongue 18 'is pivotally mounted on connection 19,by bolt 20 which bolt also pivotally secures double-tree 21 on saidtongue. The ends of said connection are secured on the frontends of saidhounds 7. 1

crank being link connected with sandboard plate extension 14' by link25.

Said shaft has Plow frames 26 and plow frame plates 26 have their outerendsadjustably secured on frame 1 and their inner ends adjustablysecured together, as seen in Fig. 6. Said frames are provided with bracerods 27 the upper ends of which are secured to frame 1. Plow posts 28are rotatably mounted in said. frames and have arms 29, (see 1 and 2,)secured on the upper ends" thereof. The front ends .of said-arms arepivotally connected by rod 30, the center of which is pivotallyconnected with the slotted arm 31, formed with foot lever 32, whichlatter is pivotally mounted at 32, on frame 1. Plows 83 are secured onthe lower ends of said posts 28, and are adapted to plow and turn earthoutward from each other. Said plows have their upper inner cornerscurved upward and Outward for widening the space therebetween andadapting the same to freely pass beets of large diameter.

The self adjusting top cutter comprises the following described parts:The front ends of runners 34: are loosely mounted on wristpins 35, theinner ends of which are secured in plow posts 28. Said runners arepreferably formed of sheet plow steel of light weight, and are trailedin the furrows formed by said plows. The inner surfaces of said runnersare rounded downward and outward, and laterally incline toward eachother from front to their rear ends; thereby adapting the same, to aconsiderable extent, to be forced upward by a beet 36, while beingdragged thereover. The outer surfaces of said runners are parallel andadapted to guide them in the described fur rows, not designated. Hingebar 37 is secured upon the rear ends of said runners and extends acrossthe space therebetween. The cutting blade 38 is similarly secured andextended, directly in front of and against said hinge bar. The front orcutting edge of said blade. is laterally sloped, as seen in Fig. 2, andis sharpened for cutting tops 36, (see Fig. 1,) from beet 86. Saidrunners and the thereon carried blade 38, are still farther adjusted tothe height of said beet by gage rods 39, the free end portions of whichslope downward and backward and ride upon the top of said beet and liftsaid blade 38 to the desired height for properly cutting tops 36 frombeet 36. The front edges of plows 33 are adapted to lift and to acertain extent guide tops 36 into a vertical position, while fender rods41 have their front ends secured to said plows and their rearwardlyextended free end portions adapted to continue the. said guiding of saidtops, until the same are reached by blade 38. The previously mentionedelevator com- 'prises the following described parts, for

elevating said tops and discharging the same into the hereinafterdescribed dump box. Hinge bar 37 has the f ont edge of the preferablysheet metal apron 4L2 hinged thereto for supporting the severed tops 36.The rear edge of said apron loosely rests upon the lower end portion ofthe elevator bottom 43, which latter is securely mounted in frame 1.Said bottom is preferably formed of sheet metal and has longitudinalchannels 43 formed therein. Said channels, (see Fig. 6,) are so arrangedthat carrier teeth 4% freely travel longitudinally there through. Saidteeth are secured in slats 15 carried by sprocket chains 46, which areextended around lower wheels 47 and upper wheels 48. The last mentionedwheels are secured on upper shaft 419, rotatably mounted in journalboxes 50, secured on frame uprights 1 and frame braces 1.

Shaft 49 has sprocket wheel 51 secured on the right end thereof, saidwheel being driven by sprocket chain 52, which passes around said wheeland around the previously mentioned drive sprocket 5. Said drivesprocket has ratcheted hub 5 formed therewith, which latter has theusual and undesignated channel formed therearound said channel beingengaged by shift lever 5-1, for sliding said ratcheted hub intoengagement With and out of engagement from ratcheted collar 53, securedon rear axle 2. Shift lever 5-1 is pivotally mounted on frame 1, and isprovided with holding plate 54, secured on frame 1, said plate beingadapted to hold the free end of said shift lever, for thereby holdingsaid parts either in engagement or disengagement, as desired. Lowersprocket wheels 47 are secured on shaft 55, each end of which isprovided with a set of mounting devices, and since said sets are alikein construction and operation, but one set of devices is described. Oneend of said shaft is rotatably mounted in the lower end of bearing rod56, the upper end of which is slidably guided by sleeve 57, secured onframe 1. Nut and lock nut 58, screwed on the upper end of said rod,limit downward movement of same, which is thereby adjusted as desired.Spiral spring 59 is mounted on said rod and actuates the same to movedownward. The tension of said spring is adjustably secured by nut andlock nut 60, screwed on the intermediate portion of said rod. The end ofshaft 55 is also rotatably mounted in the rear end ofbar 61, the frontend of which is loosely mounted on wrist pin 3,5. Said end of said shaftis also passed through slot 37, formed in the upper end of lift bar 37,which is formed with hinge bar 37, for lifting said hinge bar and thethereto attached parts, as hereinafter described.

Idle spreckets 62 are secured on idle shaft 6.3, each end of which isprovided with mounting means of the following description; One end ofsaid shaft is rotatably mounted in box 64, slidably guided between boxguides 65, the lower ends of which are secured to elevator sides 43,while their upper ends are secured to frame 1. Said box 64 iselasticallyheld at the-limit of its downward movement, by spiral spring66, the tension of which is adjusted by screw 67. Referring to Figs. 1and 2, beet. top box 68 is secured to frame 1 and upright 1, and isprovided with inclined, projected bottom, 68, adapted to cause beet topsto gravitate therefrom. Said box is provided with door 69, hinged on therear end portion of door shaft 70, rotatably mounted on upright 1 andbrace l. The front end of said shaft has knee lever 71 secured thereon,whereby the same is rotated for opening said door. Said door is providedwith recover springs 69, for recovering outward movement of the loweredge portion said door, and closing the same.

1 In the operation of the described beet topper, with the parts in theposition shown, the machine is drawn by a team, hitched in the usualmanner, to double-tree 21, while the operator acts as driver of saidteam and sits in seat 17 Said operator has the team guiding lines,thrown over his shoulder, in the usual manner, his feet resting on theends of foot lever 32, and thereby guides plows 33. lVith his left hand,said operator grasps guide lever 23, and thereby guides tongue 18,either toward the right or left, as occasion requires. With his righthand he operates lift lever 10, and thereby regulates the depth of plows38 in the ground, and by the same lifts the front end of frame 1, andthus lifts all of the thereto attached parts, including said plows,above the ground for transporting the machine. He then pushes the frontend of shift lever 54 toward the right. (see Fig. 2,) and therebydisengages the elevator drive sprocket 5 from its engagement with axle2, thereby throwing the described elevator out of gear, after which saidtopper is transported on its wheels, as desired. Then it is desired toagain top beets, the parts of the machine are brought to the positionshown, by reversing the previously described operations. As the entiremachine is again drawn toward the right, tops 36 are cut from beets 36,by the blade 38, and gravitate onto apron 42, from which they aredragged by teeth 44, upward along elevator bottom 48, from which theygravitate into box 68. When said box is sufiiciently filled with tops,the operator (on seat 17) with his left knee, presses the lower end oflever 71 outward, thereby rotates door shaft 70, overcomes recoversprings 69 and swings the bottom of said door outward, upon which saidtops gravitate from said box onto the ground. Upon removal of saidoperators knee, said recover springs close said door.

If during the previously described opera tions, tops 36 should becomepiled or clogged beneath slats 45, the elastic holding means of lowersprockets 47 and idle sprockets 62, permit said wheels and the therebyguided slats to move upward and to pass over the same, said tops beingmoved by the next succeeding slat.

It will be understood from the foregoing description of the tongueguiding, and the plow guiding mechanisms, that said operator is enabledby the use of same to accurately guide the machine and keep the same inalinement with a row of beets.

Having fully described my invention, what I' claim as new and original,and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A transportably supportedframe; a pair of plows carried by said frame for plowing a furrow ateach side of a row of beets; a pair of runners; dragging means wherebysaid runners are dragged behind said plows in said furrows; and acutting blade secured transversely on the rear end portions of saidrunners said blade being extended across the space therebetween thefront edge of said blade being adapted to cut tops from beets.

2. In a beet topper, a pair of runners adapted to be dragged in a pairof furrows, the outer surfaces of said runners being parallel to eachother while their inner surfaces are inclined backward toward each othersaid inner surfaces being rounded downward and outward; a cutting bladeadapted to out the tops from beets, said blade having a laterallyinclined and sharpened front edge and having its ends secured on therear end portions of said runners and being extended across the spacetherebetween; and dragging means whereby said runners are dragged.

3. In a beet topper, a cutting blade adapted to cut the tops from beets;a pair of runners whereon said blade is carried by the ends therof; aplurality of gage rods carried by said runners said rods having free endportions inclined downward and backward over the space between saidrunners, said inclined portions being adapted to be dragged over thetops of beets and thereby lift the rear ends of said runners and thethereon carried blade for gaging the depth of the cut of said blade.

4. In a beet topper, a pair of runners adapted to be dragged in a pairof furrows which are situated at each side of a row of beets; a hingebar secured on the rear ends of said runners and extending across thespace therebetween; a cutting blade similarly secured on said runners infront of and against said hinge bar, said blade having a laterallyinclined and sharpened front edge adapted to cut the tops from saidbeets; an elevator for elevating said tops; and an apron having itsfront edge hinged to said hinge bar and its rear edge resting loosely onthe lower end portion of the bottom of said elevator.

5. In a beet topper a transportably supported frame; a pair of plowscarried by said frame said plows being adapted to plow a furrow at eachside of arow of beets with a predetermined space between said plows, theinner upper corners of said plows being rounded upward and outward forwidening the upper portion of said space; fender rods extending backwardfrom said plows for guiding the tops of said beets; and cutting meansfor cutting the tops from said beets while the latter remain standing inthe ground.

6. In a beet topper, a rotatably mounted plow post; a wrist pin securedinthe lower end portion of said plow post; a plow secured on the lowerend portion of said post said plow being adapted to plow a furrow alongone side of a row of beets; a runner having its front end looselymounted on said wrist pin and thereby dragged in said furrow; asimilarly constructed and operated group of parts for the other side ofsaid row of beets; and a cutting blade secured on the rear end portionsof said runners and extending across the space therebetween, for cuttingthe tops from said row of beets.

7. In a beet topper a main frame for said topper; lifting means forlifting the front end of said frame; a plow frame carried by said mainframe; a pair of plow posts carried by said plow frame at apredetermined distance from each other; a wristpin secured in the lowerend of each one of said posts; a plow secured on the lower end of eachone of said posts; a pair of runners trailed behind said plows the frontends of the runners being loosely pivoted on said wristpinsrespectively; a hinge bar secured on the rear end portions of saidrunners and extending across the space therebetween; a lift bar formedon each end of said hinge bar, the upper end portions of said lift barseach having a slot formed therethrough; a rotatably mounted lowersprocket shaft having its end portions projected through the slots insaid lift bars; and a bearing rod for rotatably supporting each end ofsaid shaft, said rods being connected with said main frame and adaptedby their connected parts to lift the rear ends of said runners when thefront end of said main frame is lifted.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in thepresence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS SLAWSON.

Witnesses A. M. Pn'rTrJoHN NM. SHEPHERD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

